Memorandum recording device



Dec. 27, 1938'. R; W- LAMBERT 2,142,030

MEMORANDUM RECORDING DEVICE Filed June 9, 1957 2 sheets-'sheet 1 lDeac.27,1938. R.WLLAMBERT lMEMORANDUM RECORDING DEVIC E Filed June 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 27, 1938 A.UNI-TED `STATES .ATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

`This1invention relates to a memorandum recordingdevice primarily adapted for use by drivers of motor vehicles.

I'heV principal object Aof this invention is to V Vprovide improved means for holding a supply of paper which may be withdrawn from a roll onto a firm surface in a position for making memoran- Vdums and writings in a most convenient and Vreadilyaccessible place for the driver of an automobile. The device will be found of great use and benet to most drivers and especially so to vsalesmen who, for example, have occasion to make a great number of memorandums in and about the course of their business and in the Ycalling'on customers, as for example, .immedi- `ately after having made such calls or in keep- "ing track of calls made or to' be made. Utility of a like. nature will also be found for delivery ,men who may require the notation in and about "-20- stops and deliveries or notations as to pick-ups,

etc. The device will also be found oi great value to tourists who may desire to make notations in the course of their travels or who may desire to make advance, notations on the device so as to have them in constant view, as for example, for directional and guiding purposes.

Another use for. the device will be found by .peace oicers, and especially so with the modern use of radio,'whereby notations may be made on the memorandum pad as the radio calls are received,'or other uses such as. taking down license numbers of automobiles. It will thus be seen "that a device of this kind has great utility, and although various devices of a like nature have heretofore been proposed, none of them have been satisfactory for the reason that they have beenconstructed more or less as toys or novelties and `have failed of substantial utility due ytoftheir lack oi" adjustability and incorrect construction.

Another object relates to .a method by which the'device may be secured to the steering column vof a.l mctor'vehicle so that it may be swung to any convenient position,-that is, to the right or to the left of the driver, where it may be most convenient for him to write, and fixed in such position.

Other features provide for the adjustability of the plane of the surface of the device so that the Hwriting may be done in a position most suitable 4or convenient to the driver, .and to the method of locking the device in said desired and convenient positions.

` The device as constructed also provides for the `useof aroll of paper: which may be drawn over the face of the device and a new surface drawn thereover, and recorded portions conveniently torn off in any desired length. The device as constructed also presents a firm iiat table upon which the writing may be done legibly and con-i veniently, even when the vehicle is being driven, and provides a means for preventing Withdrawal or uncontrolled unwinding of the supply roll.

Other objects relate to the various economies and features of construction and the novel ar rangement of the parts thereof, which will be apparent from the following description of the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a steering wheel and I column showing my device attached to the steer-"i ing column.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my device showing in dotted lines an adjusted position, and is also a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. K

Fig 3 is a longitudinal section of my device onl`1` the line 3--3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of my device with parts broken away and partly in section.

Fig, 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 4 on line 5-5 thereof. Referring to the drawings, l0 indicates a steering column having a conventional steering wheel I I. Attached to the steering column is a circular clamp I2Y having -an ear I3. A bolt I4 passes through an opening in this ear and through onelf end of the arm I5, and acts as a pivot therefor. A wing nut IS which may be conveniently manipulated so as to allow the arm I5 to pivot and to x it in any desired position, may be provided to hold kthe said arm in fixed position. It will thus'f be seen that the arm I5 may rotate about thebolt I4 as an axis in a plane parallel to the plane of the surface of the wheel II, so that the device which the arm carries may be positioned to the V right of the driver for normally right handed persons and to the left of the driver for left handed persons, andV the degree of positioning may be varied in accordance with the desires or conveniences of the driver, and When not in use the device may be positioned away from him, as for example, in the position shown in Fig. 1, directly in front of him. For further adjustability the outer end of the arm which carries the device is provided with a ball-and-socket arrangement so that the writing plane of the device may be fully adjustable and further may be clamped into a position which the user will nd most convenient. For the purpose of illustration I have shown a particular ball-and-socket arrangement wherein ther outer end of the arm I5 extends upwardly at right angles thereto as at I'I and terminates in the ball I8, the ball being engaged by the internally threaded socket I9.

Attached to the base of the memorandum device may be an annular internally threaded flange 20, and a suitable nipple 2| may extend into the flange and the socket I 9. It will thus be seen that the memorandum device will be capable of being adjusted in various planes by reason of said ball-and-socket arrangement, and further, the position to which it is desirably adjusted may be set by tightening the socket I9 on the nipple 2| to clamp the ball between them, so that the writing surface will not be disturbed while in use after it has been fixed in place. Of course it will readily be seen that various forms of ball-andsocket arrangements may be used and devised and the one shown in the drawings is merely for purpose of illustration.

The memorandum recording device itself consists of a holder of any suitable shape adapted to contain a supply roll of paper which may be drawn over a platen and held thereon for use in making memoranda. My preferred form of holder comprises a top 22 having a sight opening 23 therein underneath which is positioned the platen 24. Side walls 25 extend between the Y top 22 and the bottom 25, the side walls being preferably formed wedge-like in shape so that the top andl bottom of the holder will converge towards the end at which the paper is drawn outwardly so that the platen 24 and the bottom 26 will converge at 21 and leave a slight opening between the platen 24 and the top 22, atwhich point the paper may be withdrawn. At this point the paper, as it is withdrawn, may be drawn upwardly or downwardly against the metallic edges of the top 22 or platen 24 and conveniently torn or cut off thereby.

Extending between the divergent ends of the sides 25 and between the top and bottom., that is, in the interior thereof, is a roll of paper 28, the width thereof being substantially that of the width of the holder. The roll is supported therein by means of a suitable bolt, as 29, the threaded end extending out through one side as at 30 where it may be engaged by the nut 3|. For convenience, this nut has been provided with a foldable wing 32 so that it may be turned against the side of the holder if desired, and not interfere with the driver or be inadvertently turned out of set position.

The holder may be constructed of any desired material, such as sheet metal, and as previously stated, the roll of paper 28 is substantially the width of the holder so that paper may be drawn therefrom over the platen 24 and under the top 22 and outwardly therefrom at the end opening 33.Y However, it is usually desired when writing to have the paper held firmly in place, and therefore, to accomplish this and to prevent the roll 28 from unraveling, I have provided the nut 3| on the threaded end 30' of the bolt so that by turning the bolt clockwise, the sides of the holder may be compressed against'the roll to clamp it against rotation, and conversely, when it is desired to have the roll rotate or withdraw paper, the end may be rotated in the opposite direction, whereupon the metal of the sides will spring outwardly and allow the roll of paper to roll freely.

It is also obvious that other methods of controlling the rotation ofthe paper roll 28 may be provided, as for example, in place of the nut 3|, there may be provided a knob having a spindle and" key arrangement which may extend into a slot formed on a spool which carries the roll of paper.

I have also found it highly desirable and practically indispensable to the complete functioning of my memorandum recording device to provide a writing implement holder in combination therewith so that a writing implement such as the pencil 34 shown, may at all times be presented for ready use. To this end I have provided a. tube 31|a extending between the sides 25 to which there are entrance openings on both sides of the holder. A longitudinal portion of the tube may be struck inwardly to provide the spring clamp 35 so that writing implements of various thicknesses may be firmly held clamped in the tube. This tube may have the additional function of forming a brace between the sides to give the structure additional strength and rigidity.

An end closure 36 may be provided for the opening between the top and bottom and the divergent ends of the sides 25. This end closure may be in the form of a single fiat leaf, may be arcuate, or may be angular as shown in the drawings. A suitable hinge arrangement as at 3T may be provided to hinge the closure to the topl as Sho-wn, or to the bottom, or in any other suitable manner. An indenture 38 may be provided adjacent one edge of the bottom 26, and a proiection 39 provided on one edge of the closure 36,

whereby the portion 39 may snap into portion 38` to hold the closure locked.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention it is obvious that various features, such as the pivoting of the arm, the ball-and-socket arrangement, the clowish to be limited thereto except as set forth in` the following claims. I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a memorandum recording device adapted to be secured to the steering column of an automobile having a holder adapted to retain a supply of paper and to hold a portion thereof in extended utilizable position, of a clamp adapted to-xedly engage said steering column, an arm having one end pivoted to said clamp and adapted to move in a plane parallel to the surface of the steering Wheel on said column, and a ball-and-socket engagement between said arm and said holder extending upwardly from the outer end of said arm at a right angle thereto.

2. The combination with a memorandum recording device adapted to be secured to the steering column of an automobile, comprising a holder having a top and bottom converging towards each other at their forward ends, a sight opening in,

said top, and a platen positioned thereunder, the said holder being adapted to contain a supply of paper in the form of a roll positioned there- .in whereby paper may be extended therefrom over said platen to present a writing surface andi having means for restricting the unwinding of said roll, of a clamp adapted to xediy engage said column, an arm pivoted to said clamp and adapted to be fixed in varied angular position in a plane having its axis parallel to the steering column whereby it may be extended to a convenient operative position and retracted toa. remote position underneath said steering wheel, and a ball-and-socket engagement between the external end'of said arm and said holder where-,-

by the plane of the Writing surface of said holder may be varied.

3. The combination with a memorandum recording device adapted to be secured to the steering column of an automobile, comprising a sheet metal holder having a top provided with a sight opening therein, a platen positioned thereunder in spaced relation thereto, a bottom and wedgeshaped side walls holding said top and bottom in converging relation adjacent one of their ends and in divergent relation adjacent their other ends, a tubular member extending through said sides and secured thereto, a closure member adapted to close the divergent end of said holder, the said holderl being adapted to contain a roll of paper rotatably mounted between the divergent ends of said side rolls and means for yieldably pressing said sides against said roll to restrict rotation thereof and to maintain a predetermined extension of paper from said roll between the top and the platen, of a circular clamp carrying an arm in pivoted engagement therewith, said clamp being adapted to xedly engage said steering column and to have said arm extend substantially radially therefrom in varied angular relation whereby said holder may be retracted underneath the steering wheel or extended to a suitable operative position, a ball-and-socket engagement extending upwardly at right angles from said arm to the bottom of said holder, and means for yieldably restricting the movement of said engagement whereby a writing surface on said holder may be held in a variable plane. RAY W. LAMBERT. 

